Freddie Mercury: The Final Tribute

Born to Western Indian parents who had immigrated to Zanzibar, Farrokh Bulsara (1946-91) showed an early inclination for the arts. His family moved to England when he was 17, which soon led to the teenager playing in bands around London, later meeting guitarist Brian Mays and drummer Roger Taylor. The trio founded Queen in 1970 and brought on bassist John Deacon a year later. Bulsara also changed his name then to Freddie Mercury

Rock band Queen, 1973.

L->R drummer Roger Taylor, singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon,  Getty

Mercury lived at his Kensington home, Garden Lodge. He bought the property in 1980 and lived there permanently. Mercury kept private his personal life yet it was known that despite romances with men, he lived most of his later life with his best friend and common-law wife Mary Austin.

Freddie Mercury, Wembley Stadium, 1985, Facebook

The crowd was huge, 1985

Over the 1980s decade, with their blend of glam and heavy metal rock, Queen rocketed to international superstardom, releasing MY favourite hits Rhapsody and We Are The Champions, anthems boosted by the group’s superb guitar work and dramatic vocals. By then Queen had become a global phenomenon and Mercury had become one of the world’s most popular rock stars. 

Queen played their famous Live Aid set at Wembley in 1985. Mercury sang on stage, and the band delivered a flawless bracket of music that captivated the audience and history books. Few concerts carried the emotional power and legendary status of the Live Aid performance; this wasn’t just a rock concert, it was a once-off music moment.

Freddie kept his struggle with AIDS a secret, denying his status to the press and not telling the truth even to his band. He was first reported to have sought medical help for the virus in 1982, but wasn’t officially diagnosed until 1987, while his meteoric music career was apparently still in full swing. He died from AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia, just after the public announcement.

The most significant concert after Mercury's death was The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, to be held April 1992 at Wembley Stadium. Harvey Goldsmith promoted the concert. Rehearsals were held at Nomis Studios London and at Wembley Stadium in early April 1992.

The tribute featured the surviving Queen members (Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon) with many other major artists. Queen assigned their songs to the list of great artists, having decided beforehand which singers would sound best on each track. The artists included Metallica and Guns N' Roses, George Michael, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, David Bowie and others.

Though 75,000 people filled Wembley Stadium, 1+ billion people watched globally. In July 1992, this concert has been voted the greatest live concert, back then. 75+ of the biggest acts in rock & roll performed that night, the concert lasting 4.5 hours! To read the list of performers and songs, and the photos, look up Smooth Radio.

Freddie and Queen totally stole the show! They celebrated Mercury's life and raised £20 million for AIDS research. It was broadcast live worldwide, and watched by c1 billion people. The proceeds from the concert were used to launch the Mercury Phoenix Trust, minus the monies used for travel accommodations for stars.

72,000 tickets were sold for that night. A live tv broadcast was produced by Jim Beach, directed by David Mallet and broadcast to 70 nations. One billion people were estimated to have watched the concert live on television.

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George Michael with Queen

The 1992 crowd at Wembley

 

When I replayed the concert programme many years later, the crowd reception was an unforgettable mix of profound sadness and triumphant celebration. I have been to many public concerts in my life, but never was a concert so characterised by endless energy and an outpouring of love for Mercury and his music. The audience was deeply moved, singing along with an almost explosive sound during Freddie's songs, treating it as a celebration of his life and a call to action to prevent AIDS.

The atmosphere was electric, making it an unforgettable event for those present and those viewers overseas. The general consensus was that George Michael’s version of Somebody to Love was the most brilliant. For me the performance of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Elton John and Axl Rose, was the most moving.

Was the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert world's greatest rock concert ever? No, Queen's iconic performance at Live Aid in July 1985 has been named the world's greatest, in an industry poll. But of course the personal participation of Mercury made the 1985 concert very special, and the clear model for the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992.